By:- Emma Dalton-Brown
Children are notorious for avoiding bedtime, and so are some adults. One talks about being a ‘night owl’, insinuating that the preference is to be awake past the hours of the average person, and to then sleep until long after the sun has risen. I, on the other hand, am what is known as a ‘morning person’, bouncing (well, age and rusty joints prevent that, I suppose) out of bed at the crack of dawn, and relishing a cup of freshly brewed Jamaican High Mountain coffee. This title was not exactly gained voluntarily. It’s not as if I choose to wake up; I just do. Ever since I was a child, and even through my partying teenage years, I have been getting up early. My mother and father never woke late, so, perhaps, my habit was learned.
Which begs the question, what makes one person rise with the roosters and another dread the thought of being made to climb from under the sheets? Are the bedtime practices, instilled by parents, so influential in someone’s continuing rituals? I think about this when I see children running around their house at 10 or 11 o’clock at night. I wonder whether it’s a regular occurrence, but I never want to appear rude by broaching the subject. What am I supposed to ask? Do I go the subtle way, requesting their opinion? “So, I need advice about my son. What time should I be putting him to bed? Is it so healthy to put him in by seven?” Do I just come right out and ask them what time their kids hit the sack? And, then, do I follow up with a “Don’t you think it’s a little late for a child?”
Set proper bedtimes
My husband and I like to spend our evenings together, talking, having dinner and, perhaps, watching some drama we’ve saved on our digital video recorder. In order for me to feel good when I wake up the next day, I have to be in my bed by nine at night, earlier if possible! This does not leave much room for dilly-dallying, so we have always insisted that our son is in his crib at seven. Of course, as he’s grown older, he often does not sleep until 7:30, because he waits up to say goodnight to his Daddy. I’m sure I’ve mentioned in the past that my honey husband is the master of the little man after sunset!
Once our 15-month-old is down, he does not wake up before first light the next day. On the rare occasion when he does, he appears to be royally ticked off! This tends to happen if we go for dinner at someone’s house, and their child is screaming all over the place, being generally raucous! Our son will make this whining sound, absolutely letting us know that he is annoyed with whoever has woken him. I can tell you, I’m not exactly elated! I don’t believe their parents are either, but what can they do? Should they have inculcated in them strict hours of sleep? Perhaps they did, but it’s just harder to enforce when the kids grow up.
Research has proven that a child functions better the following day if he or she has had ample shut-eye. The times vary between nine and 12 hours, depending on whose study you read. That being said, some people swear their kid functions fine on eight or less. After all, each individual is different. I suppose that, in time, I will figure out who is right! Whatever your reasoning, isn’t it time for bed?
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